EUA Newsletter 9/2006

EC Communication on the Modernisation Agenda for Universities

Adopted on 10 May 2006, the European Commission has finalised its Communication to the Council and European Parliament on "Delivering on the Modernisation Agenda for Universities: Education, Research and Innovation". This follows on from the 2005 Communication "Mobilising the Brainpower of Europe: enabling the universities to make their full contribution to the Lisbon Strategy" and from discussions on the role of the universities that took place at the informal meeting of the European Council in Hampton Court in October 2005. The Communication points to the coordinated action required from Member States, universities and the Commission that is required if universities are to achieve their potential as crucial actors at the centre of the knowledge triangle linking education, research and innovation.

Many of the reforms recommended in the paper take up key issues that EUA has discussed in its recent conferences and policy documents. In particular, at the top of its agenda, the Commission underlines the importance of reducing the "funding gap" in higher education and recommends that the EU should aim, within a decade, to "devote at least 2% of GDP (including both public and private funding) to a modernised higher education sector". Member States are also urged to ensure real autonomy and accountability for their universities, freeing them from "over-regulation and micromanagement". These are points emphasised by EUA President, Professor Georg Winckler, who was among the experts consulted by the Commission in the preparation of this document.

EUA will analyse the Communication in more depth in the weeks to come, concentrating specifically on the action points addressed to the universities that include recommendations to expand their funding base, enhance their areas of excellence and develop their competitive position.

Find out more on the EC's Communication on universities in Europe

Consult EUA's recent policy statements in 2005-2006 linked to the key issues of the Communication

Report on the Hampton Court meeting

EUA Position on Proposed FP7 Cost Model Supported at Prague Workshop

Hosted by the Czech Rectors' Conference and Charles University in Prague, EUA held a workshop on 5 May 2006 on the theme of "Universities' Participation in FP7: Towards Full Cost Support". As an initiative of the EUA Working Group on the Simplification of FP7 Funding Mechanisms, the workshop aimed at raising awareness within the EUA membership - with thirty university participants from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia and Austria - to discuss the proposed new "Rules of Participation" and the major changes they imply, particularly with respect to the re-imbursement of research costs and how they will affect the university sector in relation to the future sustainability of externally funded research projects. A particular aim of the workshop was to assess and debate the prospects (and barriers) for universities to operate effectively on the eligible research costs model proposed in FP7. The workshop demonstrated that most universities in the region have used the Additional Costs (AC) model. Re-tr aining for the new rules on eligible research costs would need considerable time and resources, particularly in adapting accounting systems.

The workshop focussed debate on the "EUA Statement on the Rules of Participation Proposals for Support Rates and Cost Models" which had been endorsed by the EUA Council meeting in Hamburg on 30th March 2006. The EUA Statement took the position that in the FP7 Cooperation Programmes the flat rate payment for the re-imbursement of indirect research costs should be fixed at 60% of total direct costs (on FP7 research and development activities for participating public bodies and higher education institutions) to ensure that the level of re-imbursement of research project costs to universities remains on a par in the move from FP6 AC model to the proposed FP7 eligible research costs model. The EUA viewpoint found strong support amongst university participants at the workshop. Without such a measure applying as a transition phase to enable universities in the region to prepare fully for eligible research cost accounting, there was felt to be a serious risk of a fall in participation levels of New Member State uni versities in FP7.

Read the outcomes of the Workshop in Prague

Read EUA's Statement on the proposed support rates and cost models

DG Research Study on the European Scientific Publication System

Led by the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Université des Sciences Sociales, Toulouse, the European Commission's Directorate General for Research published on 31 March 2006 a study on the European scientific publication system entitled "Study on the economic and technical evolution of the scientific publication markets in Europe".

As a contribution to the debate of the access to and dissemination of scientific publications in Europe, the study confirmed the essential role of scientific journals for research and the importance of making these publications ass accessible as possible. The study provides a number of recommendations for improving access to be further discussed at a conference devoted to the subject to be held in autumn 2006.

The European Commission would also like to hear the views of interested parties, and is therefore calling for reactions and contributions on the study and other issues linked to scientific publications. Contributions should be sent to rtd-scientific-publication@cec.eu.int by 1 June 2006. Should EUA members wish to respond, EUA would be grateful to also receive this feedback. Members can send their contributions to info@eua.be.

Learn more about the Study on the Scientific Publication System in Europe

The Bologna Process and Australia: Next Steps

The Australian Ministry for Education, Science and Training has published a discussion paper on "The Bologna Process and Australia: Next Steps". The paper aims to stimulate discussion about the Bologna Process in Europe as well as the prospective implications it has for both domestic and international students in Australia as well as increased international cooperation. The paper is the first step in a consultation process in Australia on the opportunities and challenges of the Bologna Process.

Find out more on the Australian paper on the Bologna reforms

EUA Publications

Guidelines for Quality Enhancement in European Joint Master Programmes

The final report of the EUA project on European Masters New Evaluation Methodology (EMNEM) is now available online and will be sent in hard copy format to members and partners in the coming three weeks. As a follow-up project to the EUA Joint Masters Project, the EMNEM Project produced guidelines to help institutions involved in developing new joint master programmes or improving existing programmes.

Read the report

EUA Annual Report 2005

The report of activities for the Association in 2005 is now available online and will be sent in hard copy format to members and partners in the coming week. The report focuses on EUA's projects and activities in 2005, in particular the European Higher Education Institutions Convention in Glasgow.

Read the report

EUA EVENTS

Leadership Seminar on Leadership in an International Context, 12-14 June 2006 - last places available!

In collaboration with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (UK) and the Centre for Science Management ZWM (Germany), and hosted by the University of Lausanne

Designed as an interactive case-based learning experience with peer contributions, participants are asked to contribute their own case studies and experiences while senior university leaders and leadership experts provide input for discussion and act as coaches in the process.

The Seminar is highly relevant to in-coming Rectors, Presidents, Vice Chancellors, Directors or Principals or who have been in charge of a higher education institution for only a short period of time. Places are also available for executive heads with a longer time in office if they wish to deepen their insight into the issues of internationalisation. The final selection takes into account geographical criteria to ensure a fruitful exchange of views and the number of participants will be limited to 25 in order to ensure an effective learning process and a good networking atmosphere.

As participation is limited and there are only a few places left, interested individuals are asked to register as soon as possible in order to guarantee their participation.

Please note that this is the first module of a series. A second module will take place in Brussels in November 2006 (participants can register to each module separately).

Find out more on the new Leadership Seminar

European QA Forum: Final Reminder for Call for Papers - Deadline 31 May 2006

EUA is co-organising with ENQA, ESIB ad EURASHE a Forum entitled "Embedding Quality Culture in Higher Education". The Forum will be hosted by the Technische Universität München, and will take place from 23-25 November 2006.

The main objective of this event is to bring together the higher education and QA community to discuss - at European level - how internal QA procedures should be adapted to the changing higher education environment and the implications this development holds for external evaluation procedures.

EUA invites its members to respond to the attached Call for Papers on best practices in Quality Assurance and hopes that many of them will be able to participate in this important event. In addition, as a service to members, EUA offers to send updates on important developments in quality assurance directly to staff members in charge of quality at their institution. If you would like your institution to receive this information, please transmit the names and contact details of the staff in question.

Learn more about the European QA Forum

Send your institution's QA contact details to EUA

MEMBERS AND PARTNERS

Council of Europe: Forum on Higher Education and Democratic Culture, 22-23 June 2006

The Council of Europe's Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research (CDESR) will organise a Forum on "Higher Education and Democratic Culture: Citizenship, Human Rights and Civic Responsibility" at Council of Europe Headquarters in Strasbourg, France.

More information

NIAID 2006 Conference on Research, 24-30 June 2006

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the United States will hold a conference on opportunities and collaborations with scientists from Central and Easters Europe, the Baltic countries, Russia and Ukraine. The conference will take place in Opatija, Croatia.

More information

EUNIS 2006 Conference on IT in Higher Education, 28-30 June 2006

Hosted and co-organised by the University of Tartu, the European University Information Systems Organisation (EUNIS) will hold its 2006 annual conference on "In Information Technology Shaping the Future of Higher Education?"

More information

International Academic Consortium on Global Education, 4-6 July 2006

Organised by the University of Warwick, UK, the AC21 International Forum 2006 on "Global Education - Universities in the 21st Century" is aimed at senior university academics ad administrators, technology/knowledge transfer specialists and student leaders.

More information

IAU 2006 International Conference on Internationalisation, 13-15 October 2006

The International Association of Universities (IAU) will hold its annual conference this year in Beijing, China, in conjunction with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE). The theme of the event is "Internationalisation of Higher Education: New Directions, New Challenges.

More information

ELM 2006 Conference on the European Labour Market, 19-21 October 2006

Hosted by the University of Maastricht, the European Labour Market for Academic Graduates conference (ELM2006) will focus on themes related to the international employability of graduates of the Bologna reform degrees.

More information

GUNI International Conference on Accreditation and QA, 27-29 November 2006

Hosted by the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI) will hold its '3rd International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education' on the theme "Accreditation for Quality Assurance: What is at Stake?".

More information

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EUA - European University Association